Maverick wine maker Stanko Radikon and his family have been unapologetic in his pursuit of purity, eschewing the use of all additives and chemicals in the production of their wines since the 1995 and boldly overhauling the way his estate made wine in every step, famously employing extended maceration to his white wines to great effect.

Established in 1980, working simply with local varieties spread over roughly 18 hectares in Italy's North East in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the reputation they have forged for wines that are pure expressions of grape and place with the utmost respect for soil and environment. 2015 was the last full vintage Stanko completed as he sadly passed away in 2016, with his son Saša well on his way to assuming full control.

The RS is a blend of mostly Merlot with 20% Pignolo grown on dense clay, macerated for 12 days and sent to cask for 18 months. This is a bright and complex red wine that that has crunchy and tart acidity, layers of fruit with spice earth and Kampot pepper. Complex, confounding and eminently drinkable, a wine to slurp and enjoy with gusto.